As the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 prepares to unite billions of fans across continents, UN Women is urging football’s most influential stakeholders to use the tournament’s unprecedented reach and resources to advance gender equality for women and girls. The tournament, scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, will be the largest in FIFA history. Hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, it will feature 48 teams competing in 104 matches across 16 cities.
With an estimated six billion viewers expected to engage with the event through television, streaming platforms, digital media, and public viewing spaces, it is projected to become the most-watched sporting event in history. For UN Women, this global spotlight presents more than a sporting opportunity. It is a chance to address longstanding inequalities that continue to shape football and the broader sports industry.
Football’s Power Extends Beyond the Pitch Few events command the collective attention of humanity like the FIFA World Cup. No government, institution, or advocacy campaign can consistently reach and influence as many people at the same time. Football’s unique ability to unite cultures, communities, and nations gives it extraordinary power to shape public attitudes and social norms.
UN Women argues that this influence should be used to promote gender equality, challenge stereotypes, and create opportunities for women and girls. The Men’s World Cup 2026 is expected to attract more than five million spectators to stadiums and generate sponsorship revenues exceeding USD 2.8 billion. Broadcasting rights alone are projected to surpass USD 4.2 billion.
According to UN Women, if football can mobilize billions around a shared passion, it can also mobilize support for a more equal future. The demand for women’s sport is no longer in question. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup attracted nearly two billion viewers, making it the most-watched women’s sporting event in history.
Women’s football is projected to surpass 800 million fans globally by 2030, placing it among the world’s most popular sports. Audience growth continues to outpace investment. In the United Kingdom, women’s sport generated 397 million viewing hours in 2025 and reached a record 48 million viewers. In the United States, audiences consumed 46 billion minutes of women’s sports content during the same period.
Yet despite rising interest, women’s sport still receives only a fraction of the investment, media coverage, and commercial support enjoyed by men’s competitions. UN Women argues that the World Cup provides an opportunity to close this gap. One of UN Women’s key messages is that the success of women’s football should be matched by sustained investment.
The organization is calling on FIFA, football associations, sponsors, broadcasters, and governments to channel more resources into women’s football, from grassroots programmes to elite competitions. The argument is straightforward: the commercial growth of men’s football did not happen by accident. It was built through decades of investment, infrastructure development, marketing, and institutional support. Women’s football, by contrast, continues to demonstrate strong audience demand despite receiving significantly fewer resources.
UN Women believes the 2026 World Cup should be used to accelerate investment in facilities, coaching, youth development, professional leagues, and pathways for female athletes.
FIFA expects to generate approximately USD 9 billion during the 2026 World Cup year, with total revenues for the 2023–2026 cycle projected to reach USD 13 billion. Meanwhile, women’s elite sports revenues are expected to reach USD 3 billion in 2026, reflecting rapid growth but still trailing far behind men’s sports. The disparity is reflected in athlete compensation. No woman appeared on Forbes’ 2025 list of the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes.
Although FIFA significantly increased the prize fund for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, it remained only a third of the amount awarded at the men’s tournament in Qatar. UN Women is urging football authorities to use the commercial success of the game to advance fairer compensation structures and reduce gender-based inequalities in sport. The organization is also calling for greater representation of women in football leadership and decision-making roles.
Women currently hold just over 32 percent of executive positions across international sports federations. FIFA estimates that women account for only around five percent of registered football coaches worldwide.
As decisions about the future of football continue to be made largely by men, UN Women argues that women must have a stronger voice in shaping policies, investments, governance structures, and the direction of the sport. Greater representation, the organization says, will help ensure that football reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.
UN Women is also drawing attention to the relationship between major sporting events and violence against women. Research from several countries suggests that incidents of domestic violence often increase around high-profile sporting events. A study conducted by the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety and Instituto Avon found that threats against women increased by 23.7 percent and physical assaults by 20.8 percent on days when local football teams played. Similar patterns have been observed in the United States, England, and Scotland.
The organization is calling on governments, sporting bodies, sponsors, and communities to use the World Cup platform to raise awareness, strengthen prevention efforts, and invest in services that support survivors of violence.
UN Women also advocates stronger safeguarding mechanisms within football itself to protect players, coaches, referees, journalists, and administrators from harassment and abuse. Another priority is ensuring that girls remain involved in sport. Globally, girls under the age of 14 leave sport at twice the rate of boys
Financial barriers, social expectations, safety concerns, and limited access to role models all contribute to the trend. Research consistently shows that girls who participate in sport are more likely to remain in school, develop leadership skills, delay early pregnancy, and secure better employment opportunities later in life.
UN Women’s One-Win Leads to Another programme has already helped more than 3,200 girls in Brazil and Argentina build confidence and leadership skills through sport. The organization wants governments and football institutions to invest more heavily in programmes that create safe, accessible opportunities for girls to play and thrive.
The Men’s World Cup 2026 arrives at a pivotal moment for global sport. Brazil is set to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027—the first time the tournament will be held in South America. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games were the first in history to achieve full gender parity among athletes.
UN Women believes the next step is ensuring that football’s biggest tournament becomes a platform for meaningful action. The organization’s message is clear: gender equality should not be treated as a side issue to football’s success. It should be part of the legacy of the sport itself.
As billions tune in to watch the world’s best players compete, UN Women is calling on football’s governing bodies, sponsors, broadcasters, governments, and fans to seize the moment. The Men’s World Cup 2026 will command global attention unlike any event before it. The question, UN Women says, is whether football will use that attention to help create a more equal future for women and girls. Because every World Cup moves the world. The challenge is ensuring it moves it forward-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
